“The fruit of the Spirit is peace…” Galatians 5:22
Peace: A state of untroubled and undisturbed well-being. Calm, harmony, order, and unity
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 11:20-21 NIV
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV
Three types of peace: Upward, Inward, Outward (God, Self, Others)
Three approaches to peace: Peace Taking, Peace Faking, Peace Making
1. Upward Peace: The Taker of peace with God is Sin
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.” John 8:34-35 NIV
- The Faker of peace with God is Religion/Legalism
“If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.” Galatians 2:21 MSG
- The Maker of peace with God is Jesus
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 NIV
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1 NIV
2. Inward Peace: The Taker of inward peace is Circumstances
“My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Psalm 42:3 NIV
- The Faker of inward peace is Self-reliance
- The Maker of inward peace is Faith
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 NIV
“Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?” Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?” They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!” Mark 4:35-41 MSG
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 NIV
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV
3. Outward Peace: The Taker of peace with others is Conflict/Offenses
“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11 NIV
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:8 NIV
- The Faker of peace with others Avoidance
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15 NIV
- The Maker of outward peace is Love
“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.” Colossians 3:13-15 NLT